Re: Current OWA

Originally Posted by JPBoston

Agreed. I wasn't a bourbon enthusiast during the age stated days of OWA, so I don't have that comparison.... but the current juice is one of my favorites.

I do agree that it's a bit hotter (alcohol bite - wise) than it needs to be at 107 proof, but the sweetness and $19 price tag make it a great value pour, imo. ORVW 10/107 is older, more than twice as expensive, and hard to find/seasonal... but not all that much better (again, imo). And, for what it's worth, I find W12 to be far too thin for my palate.

Yeah I have given up on ORVW or PVW. There are far too many folks in Houston that rank higher on Spec's big spender list for me to get a bottle anymore...

I can see your point about W12 being thin, and the thicker mouthfeel of OWA is a good thing. To me though the complexity of the W12 wins out.

Re: Current OWA

Originally Posted by jeffrey r

I always find it funny on forums, how the first post of the thread sets the tone for the rest of the thread. OWA is easily one of the most beloved bourbons on this site, and yet you would think it was bottom of the barrel (pun intended) if you just read this thread.

In any event, I don't mean to undermine or belittle anyone's opinion on OWA or any other bourbon for that matter. To each his own. And to be perfectly honest, I am so enamored of the SB blend, that I rarely drink OWA or W12 alone anymore. Such a smart mingling, to take the younger, higher proof, more robust bourbon, and mingle it with the older, oakier, lower proof, more mellow bourbon. It just works imho.

I was thinking the same thing about the tone vs OWA, but couldn't figure a way to say it without being more 'inflammatory'. Well done.

Also agree that the SB Blend is superior to either alone, for the exact reasons you stated.

Originally Posted by weller_tex

Yeah I have given up on ORVW or PVW. There are far too many folks in Houston that rank higher on Spec's big spender list for me to get a bottle anymore...

I can see your point about W12 being thin, and the thicker mouthfeel of OWA is a good thing. To me though the complexity of the W12 wins out.

It would be cool if BT could produce a "Weller 10/107" (or 10/100 for that matter -- which would be an almost exact match to the SB Blend) to directly compete with ORVW at a fraction of the cost. If W12 can be had for ~$20 in most markets, I'm sure a 10/100 wouldn't be far from that mark.

Re: Current OWA

Originally Posted by jeffrey r

I always find it funny on forums, how the first post of the thread sets the tone for the rest of the thread. OWA is easily one of the most beloved bourbons on this site, and yet you would think it was bottom of the barrel (pun intended) if you just read this thread.

In any event, I don't mean to undermine or belittle anyone's opinion on OWA or any other bourbon for that matter. To each his own. And to be perfectly honest, I am so enamored of the SB blend, that I rarely drink OWA or W12 alone anymore. Such a smart mingling, to take the younger, higher proof, more robust bourbon, and mingle it with the older, oakier, lower proof, more mellow bourbon. It just works imho.

I think you are overdramatizing what I said. I never said it was horrible just not as good as it once was and now very one dimensional. I do not think the words horrible came into play. That being said there are too many other bourbons that are better now that I will spend my money on. As long as they make w12 though I will keep buying it.